POLAND — Selectmen on Tuesday held a workshop to try to determine what needs to be done before they can ask the state Department of Economic and Community Development for an amendment to the town’s two Tax Increment Financing agreements it has with Poland Spring Bottling Co.

Meeting with selectmen were Ron Smith, the town’s auditor, and John Cleveland of Community Dynamics, who was charged with separating the financial accounts of the two TIFs — something DECD officials want to see before they will allow the amendment.

Until recently, financial records for the two TIFs, which date back to 2000, were commingled, and are practically non-existent prior to 2008. State officials said they would be happy if the town would provide details of the separation of accounts to that date.

Cleveland submitted his report to Town Manager Bradley Plante in May but it was at a selectmen meeting two weeks ago that the matter of Cleveland’s invoice for his work surfaced.

Several people in the audience, primarily made up of members of Poland’s Community and Economic Development Committee, sought to continue a discussion of Cleveland’s bill, which was approximately 80 percent higher than the original estimate.

Cleveland, who said he disagreed with statements made at the prior meeting, was willing to take up the matter, but Janice Kimball, chairman of the Board of Selectmen, cut off all discussion because it was not part of the workshop’s agenda.

“We need to focus on what needs to be done (to have an accurate accounting of the two TIFs) and we need to have it done right,” Kimball said.

To eliminate the distraction, it was agreed that selectmen would take up the matter of Cleveland’s invoice at its Aug. 19 meeting.

It was agreed that, using Cleveland’s report as a starting point, Smith would meet with the town’s attorney, manager, assessor and finance director, as well as Poland Spring Bottling Co. officials to reach an agreement on what the new baseline financial numbers are.

“We’ve got to get this right and this is the time to do it,” Smith said.

With the board expressing nervousness at the prospect of incurring additional expenses, Cleveland said he would supply whatever support he could at no additional cost to the town.

Smith estimated that the work could be completed in as few as two weeks, but noted that summer schedules might cause a delay.

“This was supposed to be done long ago; it makes us look like bumbling idiots,” Joe Cimino, CEDC member, said.

All parties agreed the new baseline accounts created by the separation must be accurate.

The town would like to amend the district to include five additional properties, which are surrounded by the current TIF district boundaries, in order to assist a potential development that involves a significant investment.

Editor’s note: This story was corrected to delete reference to Selectman Walter Gallagher opposing discussion of the consulting bill.